March Third
by Ex-Shark-Virtue-005
Summary: Tieria struggles to deal with Lockon's first birthday after his death. And a trip to visit Lockon's grave on that day leaves Tieria overwhelmed by his own emotions.
1. Rain

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm here with a little story that I came up with while at work one night. It'll probably be a little bit different than my other Gundam 00 fics because it probably won't be fifty-thousand plus words it'll probably be like five thousand words. It's just a little fic-let centered around Lockon's birthday, hence the title. It takes place during the time skip between seasons one and two. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam 00 or the characters. Veda and Tieria are just allowing me to borrow them for a while.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter One: Rain

Tieria Erde stood out in the pouring rain which was odd for him. First off, Tieria, despite the meaning of his name, hated Earth's surface. He didn't like how Earth's gravity felt on his body. Gravity was heavy and it weighed down on his lithe body like a heavy sack that he could never get rid of. He had spent most of his life in the semi-weightlessness of Krung Thep and the Ptolemaios. Therefore Tieria wasn't used to his full body weight and just standing there in the rain was making him extremely tired. But he also needed to put into consideration that he hadn't been sleeping much at all lately.

The second reason why it was strange was because Tieria hated the rain. Rain was cold and wet and often symbolized death and suffering in some of the books he had read. He also hated being cold. The climate control on the Ptolemaios and at Krung Thep was always set to a comfortable degree. And unless he was running a fever, he was always content with the temperature setting. He also hated being wet. Being soaking wet was fine when he was showering but when he was fully clothed it was less than enjoyable. Saturated clothing stuck to his skin and would cease to protect him from the cold.

And yet, despite his loathing for such conditions, here he was soaked to the bone from the driving rain as he stood on earth's surface. But today was different…Today Tieria Erde didn't care about the gravity weighing him down or the discomfort the rain was causing him. Today was March third and it was supposed to be Lockon Stratos' twenty-sixth birthday…but it wasn't. Lockon had been killed in action just a few months after turning twenty-five. To this day, nearly a year later Tieria still blamed himself of Lockon's death.

Tieria placed a cold, slender hand on the granite cross that marked the Dylandi family grave. Lockon's real name, Neil Dylandi, had been inscribed on the marker several months after the battle that cost the man his life. And every time Tieria heard or read the name it sent bolt of pain through his chest. There were three other names inscribed on the grave stone, names that Tieria could only assume were the names of Lockon's late mother, father and little sister.

Tieria often wondered how, despite losing his family to terrorism, Lockon was so care-free and happy all the time. He had lost his connection to the one thing that he held higher regard to than most of the people he had to interact with on a daily basis but…losing your parents and little sister as a child must have been completely unbearable to cope with. Tieria hung his head in shame. How dare he compare the loss of one's entire family to what he had gone through when he lost connection to Veda…the two were by no means the same thing.

He sighed as he struggled to find the right words to say. He wasn't human. He wasn't used to dealing with the suffocating emotions that threatened to drown him in a sea of despair. It was part of the reason why he had lost weight in the past several months. He often found himself unable to eat due to the emotions waging war on his entire being. He wasn't supposed to have such emotions, that's why he was trusted with the TRIAL system. Humans would often give in to such emotions but he was different, he wasn't supposed to _have _any emotion at all. Emotions were meaningless to him and yet, it was the same emotions that were making him feel sick nearly all the time.

"H-Happy birthday Lockon…" He muttered barely able to find his voice as the tears threatened to fall from his garnet eyes, "I know it's probably not much of a birthday to you anymore…seeing as to how…you're…not alive…anymore…" He bit his lip as several tears escaped past his weakened will, "I…I'm sorry I…couldn't do more to help…I tried to protect you…but…I just…wasn't strong enough…I couldn't protect Setsuna or Allelujah either…so…it's just me left…You left me in charge and…I screwed up…"

He leaned against the grave marker. He was so incredibly exhausted he struggled to find the strength to remain standing. But he couldn't give in to his fatigue here. Falling asleep in such condition would be hazardous to his already poor health. If he fell asleep here he would seriously risk hypothermia. He knew that the condition could happen in temperatures warmer than the one he was in and with the rain, becoming hypothermic was almost inevitable. He had come to the cemetery by himself. He had come here with Sumeragi, Feldt, Ian, Linda and her young daughter Mileina but they were at the hotel. He had come to the cemetery alone, probably against his better judgment.

He gasped as his vision began to grow dim and every around him began to spin. He couldn't keep himself conscious any longer, he just didn't have the strength. His legs gave out and the ground came up on him fast. /Dammit…/ He thought, /This isn't good…I should have listened to Sumeragi...she was right...I shouldn't have come here alone...what are they going to do if they don't find me before.../

Before Tieria could shut his eyes and completely lose consciousness he heard voices calling out to him. One of the voices he would recognize anywhere. He tried to sit up but his exhausted body wouldn't let him. He looked up and through extremely hazy vision he saw two men leaning over him and one of the men had a face that plagued him in his sleep.

"Neil…" He gasped as he reached towards the possible apparition that his exhausted mind conjured up, "Neil Dylandi…you're…alive…?"

"_Who are you? How do you know my brother?"_ He heard as his eyes closed and his hand fell back to the ground, _"Are you alright…O-oi wake up! Wake up!"_

"Neil…Dylandi…" Tieria muttered before he lost all awareness as he fell unconscious.

* * *

Lyle Dylandi accompanied by one of his closest friends Klaus Grado walked towards the Dylandi family grave slowly.

"You should enjoy yourself Lyle," Klaus said, "It's your birthday after all."

"I know," Lyle said, "But it's a pact I made with my older brother. Even if he doesn't come around anymore, I feel it's the least I can do for him."

"What happened to your brother?" Klaus asked.

"No clue," Lyle said, "All I know is that he left me his car and took off. I haven't heard from him in years."

"That's harsh," Klaus said as he noticed a person leaning against the gravestone, "Hey, there's a person standing at your family's grave. Do you know who it is?"

Lyle looked over, "I've seen that kid from a distance before," Lyle said, "I watched him from a distance the last time I was here too. Last time there was a pink haired girl with him. I have no idea who he is though. Or why he keeps visiting."

"That's a guy?" Klaus asked, "He seriously looks like a woman."

"That's what I thought too," Lyle said, "Until the kid opened his mouth. Based on his voice, he's definitely male."

The two men watched the mysterious young man for several minutes until the boy fell forward, nearly bashing his head on the grave stone.

"I think he just collapsed," Klaus said when the young man failed to get up, "We should try to help him. He could die in these conditions."

"Alright, alright," Lyle said as he ran towards the boy.

"He's still conscious," Klaus said as he knelt down next to the purple haired boy and carefully rested the boy's head on his lap, "Should we call for an ambulance? He's shivering bad."

"Hold on," Lyle said as he also knelt down in front of the boy, "Hey, could you tell us your name?"

The boy opened his unnatural garnet eyes and looked up. "Neil…" the boy muttered as he extended his hand towards Lyle, "Neil Dylandi…you're…alive…?"

Lyle recoiled at his brother's name, "Who are you? How do you know my brother? Are you alright?" He asked as the boy's eyes closed and his hand fell limp, "O-Oi wake up!" He called, "Wake up!"

"Neil…Dylandi…" The boy muttered before becoming completely limp in Klaus' arms.

"What should we do now?" Klaus asked, "Should we take him to a hospital?"

"I'm going to check his pockets," Lyle said, "I'm sure the kid must have some sort of identification on him."

Lyle reached into one of the boy's pockets and pulled out a small wallet. He opened it and to his surprise he found a picture of his brother in it, "This kid knows my brother," Lyle said, "But why is he here?" He pulled a few cards out of the boy's wallet and found an AEU identification card and a key card for a local hotel, "The kid's name is Tieria Erde and it seems as though he's staying at the hotel a few kilometers away. Could you bring him there for me? I have to be at work in a bit."

"Sure," Klaus said as he took the wallet from Lyle and picked the boy up, "Does it say how old he is?"

"Based on his id he's seventeen," Lyle said, "And it states that he's a mobile suit pilot for the AEU. Why?"

"I was just wondering," Klaus said as he walked to his car, "I'll see you later Lyle."

Klaus gently wrapped the shivering boy in a blanket that he kept in his car and rested him on the backseat. He then slowly drove to the hotel the boy had been staying in.

* * *

When he got to the hotel he walked up to the front desk and presented the wallet, "I was wondering if you could tell me what room this boy is staying in?" he asked the woman at the desk, "This was the key card I found on him."

The woman took the card and swiped it, "He's staying in room five-hundred-fifteen," The woman said, "Do you need me to call for a doctor?"

"I'll let you know," Klaus said as he took the card from the woman, "Thank you."

* * *

"Tieria's been there for a while now," Feldt said as she looked at her watch, "Do you think he's alright?"

Sumeragi sighed, "Let him take his time," She said, "He just needs to be alone for a while. You know how he gets."

"I'm just worried about him," Feldt said, "It's really bad out there…and it's been nearly six hours since he left."

"I'm sure he's fine, he just needs time," Sumeragi said as there was a knock at the door, "That's probably him now. Feldt could you get that?"

Feldt nodded. She opened the door and what she saw shocked her. There was a man at the door carrying Tieria's unconscious and shivering form in his arms, "Tieria!" Feldt cried, "What happened to him?"

"My friend and I found him at the cemetery not too far from here," Klaus said as he walked in the room, "He had just collapsed when we got there. Are you relatives of this boy?"

"Yes," Sumeragi said as the man set Tieria down on one of the beds, "Thank you so much for helping him."

"You're welcome," Klaus said, "I'll let you be now." He then left the hotel room.

"Ian," Sumeragi called, "Could you come here?"

"What do you need?" The mechanic asked as he walked from a conjoined room, "Tieria! What on earth happened to him?" He exclaimed as he laid his eyes on the purple-haired boy.

"Someone found him at the cemetery unconscious," Feldt said.

"Ian," Sumeragi said, "I need you to get him out of those clothes. We can figure out what happened to him when he's wearing something warmer…dammit, I _told _him not to go alone!"

Sumeragi and Feldt left the room as Ian changed Tieria out of the wet clothing he was wearing.

"Sumeragi," He called as gently pulled the bed covers over Tieria, "It's all set."

"Alright," Sumeragi said as she reentered the room. She sighed as she walked up to the bed. Tieria was still shivering violently as his body tried to warm itself up and his face held the same look of pain that was present on the boy's face whenever he slept, "Feldt," she said, "Could you get me a warm cloth for his forehead?"

Feldt nodded and left the room.

Sumeragi sighed as she placed her hand on Tieria's forehead. But something was amiss. Instead of being cold, Tieria's forehead was rather hot. She took a small device out of her pocket and placed to Tieria's forehead and she found that Tieria was running a rather high fever, "Feldt," She called, "Forget the warm cloth bring a cold one, Tieria's running a fever."

"Wouldn't that just make him colder?" Feldt said, "He may have a fever but he just spent six hours in the rain. We should wait for him to stop shivering."

"He's not going to stop shivering," Sumeragi said, "Tieria suffers from severe chills when he's feverish like this. Bring me a cold cloth, we need to lower his fever."

Feldt nodded and did what she was told. She walked over to the bed and she placed her hand on Tieria's forehead before putting the cloth there. Tieria's skin was on fire, "We're in for a rough night with him," She said softly. She knew that Tieria couldn't handle extreme heat well at all and with his temperature well above thirty-nine degrees he would need close monitoring until his fever fell.

"I know," Sumeragi said, "I'm going to wait for Linda and Mileina to get back from the market then I'm going to take a little nap so I'll be able to stay up all night and watch him."

"Sounds good," Feldt said as she placed the cloth on Tieria's forehead hoping that it would be enough to comfort him a little bit, "I hope he's alright..."

"I hope so too," Sumeragi muttered, "I hope so too..."

* * *

So what did you think? I think that there will be one more chapter after this one so that way it's a ficlet and not a one shot. I hate one shots and I left a pretty bad ending for one shot anyway…with Tieria running a high fever and unconscious (again…I really like putting him in that situation huh?) I can be a cruel fanfic author at times (alright, I'm a cruel fanfic author _all_ the time) but I wouldn't do that to you awesome readers (or Tieria, he had it hard enough in Gundam 00…) So until next time, Ja ne minna-san!

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	2. Feverish Memories

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back with the second chapter of this little ficlette. I don't have much to say about this aside from some characters in this might be a tad bit out of character. But aside from that, you can get started after the stupid disclaimer…Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam 00 or the characters. Veda and Tieria are just allowing me to borrow them for a while.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Two: Feverish Memories

Sumeragi sighed as she watched Tieria toss and turn restlessly in his sleep. Tieria hadn't woken up since he had been brought here and his fever wasn't yielding either. Sumeragi wished that there was something that she could do to help the boy but until his fever fell, all she could do was watch him and make sure that his condition didn't get any worse. Tieria's breathing was extremely raspy and every so often he would moan or whimper in his sleep.

She was worried about the boy. In the past few months, Tieria's health had been unusually poor. In the past few months she had lost count of the times she found Tieria lying in bed because he felt ill. She had also noticed that his clothes weren't fitting as well as they used to. His custom made uniform was baggy on him, meaning he hadn't been eating. And he was almost always tired. Tieria always seemed to be able to work longer hours than the others had been able to but recently, after just a few hours of work, Tieria would be on the verge of collapse.

Sumeragi nearly jumped out of her skin when Tieria suddenly cried out in his sleep. She was beginning to wonder if she should call for a doctor. Tieria had a poor tolerance for heat and with his temperature as high as it was, he was probably in severe pain. /If he doesn't improve by morning or gets worse, I'll call for a doctor/ She thought.

"Come on Tieria," She muttered as she took the boy's limp hand in her own, "Hang in there…"

"How's he doing?" Linda asked as she walked into the room, "I heard him cry out not to long ago."

Sumeragi sighed, "He hasn't changed at all," She said, "I'm wondering if I should call for a doctor. He must be in pain…I don't think I've ever seen Tieria get this sick before…"

"How high has his fever gotten?" Linda asked as she placed her hand on the boy's forehead.

"It was up to forty point one the last time I checked," Sumeragi said, "I shouldn't have let him go to the cemetery alone…He would be alright if I had refused…"

"I don't think so," Linda said, "I don't think Tieria-kun's illness has anything to do with the fact that he spent six hours in the rain. He was looking rather ill before he left."

Sumeragi gasped, "I can't believe I didn't notice," She muttered, "But then again…Tieria seemed to be avoiding me this morning…He knew he probably looked terrible and he avoided me so I wouldn't find out he was sick. He should really know better…what on earth was he thinking?"

"You need to remember that Lockon-kun was Tieria-kun's first real friend," Linda said, "It was Lockon-kun's birthday and Tieria-kun probably felt the need to visit his best friend on his birthday. Tieria-kun is very stubborn, when he wants to do something he's going to do it regardless if we try to stop him or not. I'm sure, had it been any other day, Tieria-kun would have held off until he felt better."

Sumeragi sighed and nodded in agreement. Unless it was absolutely necessary, Tieria wasn't the type of person who would put himself in harm's way. The boy was super intelligent however sometimes he seemed to lack common sense. "You should get some rest Linda," Sumeragi said, "I'll be alright watching Tieria tonight…it's the least I can do for him…"

"I'm just as worried about Tieria-kun as you are," Linda said, "Plus Mileina told me to "make sure Erde-san is okay." I'll keep you company. That way in case one of us needs to run to get something he's not alone."

"Okay," Sumeragi said, "Thank you Linda…"

* * *

While in his feverish sleep Tieria dreamt. He dreamt about all the times he had spent with Lockon in the short span of time he had known the man.

From meeting the man for the very first time to the last time he had seen the man alive, he relived it all. He was stuck here reliving his past in an endless loop that he couldn't get out of. If he tried to return to consciousness an intense heat and an unbearable pain would drag him back into unconsciousness. Not having the strength to fight his own body, he slipped into a deeper stage of unconsciousness.

* * *

_It was a normal morning on the Ptolemaios but something was slightly amiss. Lockon Stratos wasn't his normal happy-go-lucky self. Tieria wasn't normally one to notice behavioral changes in his comrades but he did pick up on this one. Apparently, according to the others, Lockon being in a bad mood was just as strange as Tieria being in a good mood._

"_Is something wrong, Lockon Stratos?" Tieria asked as he looked up from his book._

"_I didn't think you cared," Lockon said uncharacteristically._

"_I was just wondering if whatever seems to be bothering you would affect your ability to fight," Tieria said, "We always need to be in top form if we're going to carry out the plan."_

"_Everything is always about_ _the plan with you isn't it?" Lockon asked._

"_Well…"_

"_Perhaps you should try thinking about how your comrades are feeling instead of the plan all the time," Lockon said._

"_If you're ill you should head down to the medical room," Tieria said._

"_I'm not sick," Lockon said, "I just have a lot on my mind. So you can go back to your little carefree world where all you care about is the plan and Veda." With that Lockon left the dining room leaving Tieria rather confused._

_Tieria shrugged as he finished his coffee then headed off to Veda's terminal to see if he could find any clues as to why Lockon was acting so odd._

* * *

_As Tieria mentally leafed through Veda's immense network he came across something that caught his eye. He came across Lockon's birth date…which happened to be that very day. /I thought people were normally happy on their birthday/ Tieria thought, /So why is Lockon so upset?/_

_He didn't quite understand how birthdays worked. He wasn't human, he had no real birthday. He had been assigned a "birth date" that was based solely on his personality to avoid any of the problems that may have arisen if he said that he didn't have a birth date. He had been assigned a fake age as well for the very same reasons. But neither his fake birth date nor age meant anything to him. They were just there to avoid any suspicion about his less than conventional upbringing because explaining that would probably take days._

_He closed his connection to Veda and headed to Sumeragi's room. Normally if he had a question about something that Veda hadn't taught him, he went to Lockon but seeing as though this matter involved Lockon he decided that confronting him about it would not end well._

_Since there were no missions scheduled for that day Tieria found Sumeragi in her room._

"_Tieria," She said. She seemed rather surprised to see the boy at her door, "Can I help you with anything?"_

_Tieria sighed and diverted his gaze from hers. He felt silly asking such a foolish question, "What to people…normally do on their…birthdays?" He asked._

_Sumeragi's eyes widened. She didn't think Tieria would ever ask such a question, "What brought this about?" She asked, "Whose birthday is it?"_

"_It's Lockon's birthday," Tieria said._

"_Is it?" Sumeragi asked, "Why do you want to know?"_

"_Lockon seemed to be in a very foul mood this morning," Tieria said, "I was under the impression that birthdays were something most people celebrated."_

"_Did you ask Lockon if there was anything bothering him?" Sumeragi asked._

"_He seemed to avoid the subject," Tieria said._

"_You should go and talk to him," Sumeragi said, "I really can't help you with this. I don't know what Lockon is thinking."_

_Tieria sighed as he nodded and headed to Lockon's room. When he got there he wondered if asking the man about what was bothering him was really such a good idea after all. However despite any doubt he may have had, he paged the man anayway._

"_Tieria," Lockon said as he opened the door, "What are you doing here?"_

"_Today is your twenty-fifth birthday is it not?" Tieria asked._

"_Yeah," Lockon said, "But how did you know…Never mind I know how you know."_

"_I was under the impression that birthdays are something that most people celebrate," Tieria said, "So why do you seem so upset?"_

"_You wouldn't understand," Lockon said as he attempted to shut the door but Tieria had placed his hand on the sensor so the door wouldn't close, "What is your problem today?"_

"_The fact that you're not your normal carefree self," Tieria said, "And I'm not the only one who's noticed it either."_

_Lockon sighed. There was no easy way to get rid of a stubborn prying Tieria, "I made a promise to someone a long time ago," Lockon said, "As you might not have known, almost my entire family was killed by terrorists when I was still a kid. There's only one other person in my family besides me now and it's my younger twin brother. The year our parents and little sister were killed we made a pact to spend the day "with" our family. Every year we would head to the cemetery on March third, our birthday, and we would just spend the day there regardless of weather. It was the only time I saw my brother. This is the first year I haven't been able to get there since the incident."_

"_You should have told someone ahead of time," Tieria said, "I'm sure you would have been clear to go."_

_Lockon scoffed, "Why?" He asked, "I'm no better than the terrorists that killed my family all those years ago. You said it yourself "to the world, we make fine terrorists." I'm a hypocrite. I hate terrorism and yet I am a terrorist…how ironic…"_

"_If you still want to go, I'm sure it can be arranged with Veda," Tieria said, "I can label the request as urgent and get it processed right away. If you put the request in now, I can get you to Ireland before nightfall."_

_Lockon looked over at the smaller Meister, "You would do that?" He asked in disbelief. He didn't think that Tieria would be willing to use Veda for anything that wasn't a part of the plan._

"_It is your birthday," Tieria said, "It's the least I can do for you."_

"_Thank you so much," Lockon said as Tieria started to walk off._

"_However," Tieria said as he stopped, "I'll do it under one condition…"_

"_What would that be?" Lockon asked worried as to what the boy would come up with._

"_You cheer up a bit," Tieria said with a hint of what Lockon thought was a smile, "Happy birthday."_

_Lockon nodded and quickly went off to write up his request._

* * *

_Later at supper that evening Sumeragi approached Tieria._

"_Did you find your answer?" She asked._

"_I did," Tieria said. _

"_Does it have something to do with the fact that Lockon was cleared to return to Ireland for the day just five minutes after he submitted the request?" Sumeragi asked._

"_It does," Tieria said._

"_And I'm guessing you had a hand in that," Sumeragi said, "Seeing as to how it was marked with the highest level of priority."_

"_Perhaps I did," Tieria said as he left the room. It was right then and there that Tieria Erde decided that perhaps doing something nice for his comrades once and a while wasn't such a bad thing after all. _

* * *

Sumeragi sighed. It was nearly daybreak and while Tieria was no long crying out, moaning and whimpering in his sleep, his fever was still very high and he was still restlessly tossing and turning.

"Linda, will you watch him while I go to the front desk to get the number for a doctor?" She said, "He needs medical attention…I just can't watch him struggle any longer."

"Alright," Linda said as Sumeragi went to get dressed.

Sumeragi was about to leave the hotel room when a soft moan escaped from Tieria's lips. It was different then what he had been doing all night and it made her turn towards the boy.

"Tieria-kun," Linda said softly as she placed her hand his forehead, "You're awake."

Sumeragi quickly abandoned the thought of leaving the room and rushed to the boy's bedside, "You're awake," She nearly cried, "Do you have any idea how worried we were?"

"What happened?" Tieria whispered unable to find his voice.

"You collapsed at the cemetery," Linda said as she stroked the boy's hair, "You're lucky someone was there to help you. Take it easy for now, you're very sick."

"Tieria," Sumeragi said as she rummaged around in her bag, "I know how much you don't like taking medication but I would like you to take a fever reducer."

"Why?" Tieria whispered, "It's best to let a fever come down naturally."

Sumeragi sighed, "You're running a fever of over forty degrees right now," Sumeragi said, "I know it is best to let a fever fall on its own but…I don't think I could handle having to watch you struggle until your fever fell naturally…please Tieria."

Tieria sighed and nodded in compliance.

Linda carefully helped Tieria sit up. Sumeragi then handed him two small pills and a glass of water. She watched as the boy took the medicine then rested against the pillows again.

"Do you need anything else?" Sumeragi asked.

Tieria shook his head and shut his eyes.

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "Get some sleep. You're sick and we're scheduled to return tomorrow."

Sumeragi wanted to chastise the boy for his serious lack of better judgment from the day before but now wasn't the time. Right now nursing Tieria back to health took top priority, she could yell at the boy when he was feeling better.

"I'm sorry I worried you…" Tieria whispered.

"Don't worry about it," Sumeragi said, "We'll discuss it later. Get some sleep for now. We're returning to space tomorrow and odds are you'll still be sick, so try to get as much sleep as you can today."

Tieria nodded and slipped into a deep sleep.

* * *

The next day, before they headed for the airport, Sumeragi, Feldt and Linda stood in front of the Dylandi family grave. Tieria had stayed in the car. He was still running a fever and Sumeragi wasn't about to let him stand out in the rain again. But Tieria wasn't complaining, he still felt rather sick and he really wasn't looking forward to traveling in such a condition. Wang Liu Mei was going to fly them to the linear train with her private jet but they were going to have to stand in a customs line when they got to the linear train. He knew that it was going to take nearly the entire day to get back to Krung Thep and he was still feeling rather weak and tired so he wanted to save his strength.

Feldt quietly sobbed as Linda gently embraced her. Sumeragi knelt down and placed a rather large bouquet of flowers on the ground, "Happy birthday Lockon," She muttered.

"Happy birthday," Feldt muttered as she looked up.

"We should get going," Sumeragi said softly, "We have a long journey ahead of us."

Feldt nodded in compliance and they all walked back to the car.

* * *

So there it is. Poor Tieria, he had a rough night with the fever and the dreams he kept having. In the little dream it was almost as if Tieria and Lockon switch personalities huh? The dream probably took place after Tieria revealed Nadleeh ahead of schedule. I've decided to extend this fic to three chapters. So just sit tight for the last chapter! Until next time! Ja ne Minna-san!

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	3. Don't Be Ashamed to Cry

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back with the final installment of this little fic. I really like the way this chapter turned out. It takes place during season two but I'm not sure when exactly but whatever. I don't have much to say about this so after the disclaimer you can get started right way! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam 00 or the characters. Veda and Tieria are just allowing me to borrow them for a while.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Three: Don't Be Ashamed to Cry

"Noriega-san!" Mileina cried, "The E-Sensor has detected several enemy mobile suits in the airspace!"

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "Feldt order Setsuna, Allelujah and Lockon to sortie. Mileina start initiating the launch sequences for their Gundams."

"Ryoukai," The two girls responded.

"Ano, Noriega-san," Mileina said, "What about Erde-san? The repairs to the Seravee have been completed. Do you want him to sortie as well?"

"No Mileina," Sumeragi said softly, "Tieria's not feeling well today. He contacted me early this morning saying that he was feeling ill and was probably going to stay in bed all day."

Feldt sighed. She knew why Tieria wanted to stay in bed today. Today was March third, Neil and Lyle Dylandi's birthday. For the past four years Tieria had spent this day on earth in Ireland. However, this year they were too far from earth for him to get there in time. Feldt also had a feeling that Tieria hadn't slept at all last night. He never did around this time of year.

Tieria normally kept very good care of himself. He always got about nine hours of sleep a night. He would eat three balanced meals a day and he would exercise almost daily. However there were two times a year where Tieria would abandon his routines. The first one spanned from March second to March fourth or fifth, the time around Lockon's birthday. And the second was the anniversary of Lockon's death. During these times Tieria wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep and he would spend the entire day in bed. He normally worried everyone around these two dates however no one had the courage to try and get through to him.

"I hope he's alright…" Mileina said.

"I'm sure it's probably just a little cold," Feldt said, "Tieria will probably feel better in a day or two."

* * *

"_Beginning the launching sequences for the Arios and Cherudim!" _

Tieria sighed as he listened to the rest of the crew prepare for a battle. He felt bad for not participating however he hadn't been able to sleep the night before and trying to fight in his condition would definitely be against his better judgment. He wanted to help but for now, there was nothing he could do except hope for the safety of his comrades.

He knew that if Neil had seen him in this state the man wouldn't be happy. He could almost hear him in his head chastising his behavior but Tieria just couldn't help it. He was certain that if Neil was still alive the man would be practically forcing food down his throat, but Neil wasn't alive anymore. Neil had died in battle five years ago. And to this day, Tieria still blamed himself. If he hadn't been trying to connect with Veda after their Gundams' connection had been cut, then his Gundam at the time, the Virtue, would have taken to the new operating system. And therefore, there would not have been a reason for Lockon to lose his good eye protecting him. He knew that it was foolish of him to keep blaming himself but he just couldn't justify that it wasn't his fault.

"_Transferring timing to the Double-0!" _Mileina's voice came, _"You are clear to launch!"_

/Please/ He thought as he shut his eyes, /Let them come back alright…/

* * *

"Tell me if this makes sense," Lyle said as he entered the prep-room after Allelujah, Setsuna and Saji, "Today is _my _birthday and _Tieria _gets the day off? Just how the hell does that one work?"

"Tieria wasn't at breakfast this morning," Setsuna said, "He might be ill."

"I think that's the case," Allelujah said, "Tieria never skips a meal let alone breakfast. Plus Sumeragi-san told me not to bother cooking a portion for Tieria. So he must be sick."

"So he's "sick" huh?" Lyle asked, "I find it very _convenient_ that he happened to fall ill on my birthday…again."

"What do you mean again?" Allelujah said.

"Well, on my twenty-sixth birthday I went to the cemetery to visit my parents and little sister like I did every year since they were killed and Tieria was there," Lyle said, "My friend and I watched him for a bit and he just collapsed. We came to find out the kid was running a seriously high fever and had fainted because of it. So I'm wondering if it's just coincidence or something more. I mean he was obviously sick that time on my twenty-sixth but...I don't know, it's just a little too odd."

"Tieria blames himself for your brother's death," Setsuna said, "He still hasn't come to terms that it wasn't at all his fault."

"Heh," Lyle scoffed, "Maybe we could try talking to him in a little bit."

"You really shouldn't," Allelujah said, "At the point he's at, it's best to just let him be."

"Oh come on now," Lyle said, "I'm sure the kid wouldn't object to having his comrades check up on him when he's sick…you know to make sure he's alright."

"You don't know Tieria," Allelujah said, "He doesn't like being bothered. When he gets like this he tends to lock himself in his room and refuse to talk to anyone."

"Geez," Lyle said, "If I didn't know any better I would think you're all afraid of him."

"You didn't know Tieria four years ago," Allelujah said, "He's changed for the better but it's still rather intimidating to talk to him sometimes."

"Alright fine," Lyle said, "I'll prove that Tieria Erde isn't as bad as you all make him out to be."

"Good luck with that," Allelujah said.

* * *

Tieria must have dozed off because he woke to a hand on his forehead. He stirred a bit but did not open his eyes hoping that maybe the person there would get the message and go away.

"For someone who claims to be sick, your forehead isn't warm at all."

Tieria nearly opened his eyes at the sound of the man's voice. But he just wanted to be left alone so he remained still and tried to regulate his breathing without the man noticing. He turned on his side so his back was to the man.

"You're awake aren't you?" The man asked, "Come on, I want to talk."

Tieria was now in a tough spot. He really didn't feel like talking to anyone, let alone Lyle Dylandi. He also knew that Lyle wasn't just going to leave, the man was going to get him to talk whether he liked it or not.

"I don't feel like talking," Tieria said in a low voice trying to sound as sick as he possibly could, "I just want to be left alone."

"I can see that," Lyle said, "That's probably why you locked yourself in your room and told everyone you were sick." He pulled the covers from Tieria's face, "You don't look all that sick to me."

"I was up all night…" Tieria muttered. Trying one more excuse to get the man to leave.

"Not sick obviously," Lyle said, "I don't see any signs that you were up all night sick…So, does your "illness" have anything to do with the fact that today is my birthday?"

Tieria gasped as his eyes widened.

"I'm right aren't I?" Lyle asked, "It's the same reason my friend and I found you collapsed in front of my family's grave on my twenty-sixth birthday."

Tieria gasped again, "That…was you…?" he asked. He couldn't really remember what had happened that day. A combination of a high fever, extreme exhaustion and suffocating grief left things a little hazy. But he could remember hearing the man's voice and seeing the man's face before losing consciousness.

"Yeah," Lyle said, "My friend brought you back to the hotel you were staying in. You called me by my brother's name before you passed out. I've seen you at the cemetery every year on my birthday since the year I turned twenty-six. And I'll bet it has something to do with my brother."

Tieria sighed and nodded. But he didn't speak. He could feel the corners of his eyes stinging and he wasn't sure if he would be able to talk without completely breaking down.

"Come on," Lyle said, "Let's talk for a while. I think it'll do you some good."

Tieria nodded and sat up in bed.

"Why is my brother so important to you?" Lyle asked.

Tieria sighed, "You're brother was injured…trying to save my life…" he muttered, "Because he protected me…he lost his right eye…and…because of that injury…he was killed in battle…"

"That sounds like Neil alright," Lyle chuckled, "Always putting others before himself. He was almost hit by a car once when we were kids because he protecting our young neighbor who had run into the street after her cat."

"I tried to lock him in his room…to keep him safe…but he went out anyway…" Tieria muttered, "And…he saved me again…"

"Neil was always stubborn," Lyle said, "Nothing could stop from doing something he wanted to do."

"I just wish…I could have done more…" Tieria muttered. He could feel the tears threatening to fall as his will faded with each word he spoke. "He saved my life twice…and I couldn't even lock him in his room…"

"It obvious that my brother cared for you very much," Lyle said as he placed his hand on Tieria's shoulder.

"But to throw his life away for someone who has no reason to live…for someone who's denying his reason for existence…someone who's not even human…someone like...me..." Tieria whispered, "Why would he do that?"

"Because Neil was a selfless idiot," Lyle said, "Hell, he nearly threw his life away for a _cat_. Therefore he wouldn't have hesitated for a person he cared about." He looked over at the smaller Meister and sighed. He could tell that Tieria was trying very hard not to cry, "If you want to cry you should," He said, "It'll help you feel better."

Tieria nodded but didn't let the tears fall. He didn't like crying in front of others. He saw crying as weakness and he didn't want to be seen as weak.

Lyle sighed, "Alright look," He said, "I'm not going to view you as weak if you start crying your eyes out on my shoulder. Hell, I view you as one of the strongest people here and that's not going to change because you decided to cry on me. I mean, based on what you told me about how you viewed my brother, just seeing my face must tear you apart. So go ahead, cry."

He watched as Tieria gripped the quilt on his bed and his lithe body began to shake as he cried. Lyle sighed as he put his hand on Tieria's shoulder then gently embraced him. Neither Lyle nor Tieria spoke for quite some time. Lyle just gently rubbed Tieria's back as the boy silently sobbed.

"Are you feeling better now?" Lyle said as Tieria finally stopped crying. He handed the boy a few tissues and Tieria nodded, "Good. I don't think Neil would want to see you in that state. I'm pretty sure he'd yell at you if he did."

"I think you're right," Tieria whispered, "Thank you Lyle."

"Well I'm sure you're tired from all that crying you just did and after not sleeping last night, so I'll let you be." Lyle said, "But everyone else is worried about you so you should try to show your face a little later on, maybe at supper perhaps?"

Tieria nodded and rested against his pillow again. He would have never guessed that the person who could make him feel better was the one person on the ship he couldn't bear to look at. He decided to try to get a bit of sleep then he would head to supper with the rest of the crew.

* * *

"Lyle," Allelujah said as the green-clad man walked into the dining hall for supper, "How did your talk with Tieria go?"

"Surprisingly well actually," Lyle said, "I really think I got through to him. He did tell me to leave him alone at one point but that was about it."

"Were you really able to talk some sense into that boy?" Sumeragi asked, "He really needs to stop acting like this around this time. It gets really annoying."

"Well," Lyle said, "We'll find out in a little bit if I was able to get through to him."

About five minutes into dinner the door opened and everyone minus Lyle was absolutely shocked.

"Tieria!" Feldt exclaimed as the boy walked into the room. Tieria never ventured out his room during this time, let alone venture out of his room to eat something.

Sumeragi looked at Lyle in shock, "How?" Was all she was able to say.

"We just talked for a bit," Lyle said, "That's all he really needed…well, that and a good nap. Are you feeling better now Tieria?"

"Yeah," Tieria said as he grabbed a tray, "I slept for a few hours and I feel a lot better."

"That's good," Lyle said, "You shouldn't keep things to yourself so much. If something's bothering you, you should talk with one of us about it."

Tieria nodded and started to eat his supper, while the others still stared at him in shock.

When supper was finished, Allelujah walked into the kitchen and came out with a cake.

"Happy birthday Lyle," Allelujah said as he placed the cake in front of the man.

"Geez, you didn't have to do this," Lyle said, "I haven't had cake on my birthday since my parents were killed."

"We do this for everyone," Sumeragi said, "Even Tieria, though we usually can't get him to eat any of it. He doesn't like celebrating his "birthday.""

"It's not really a birthday," Tieria said, "It's just a day that was assigned to me based on my personality."

"It happens," Lyle said, "Are you going to have a piece?" He asked Tieria, "You haven't eaten much in the past few days, your blood-sugar is probably low."

"His blood-sugar is probably always low," Sumeragi said, "He doesn't eat sweets."

"There are other ways to get sugar into one's diet," Tieria said, "Carbohydrates turn into sugar when digested and there is natural sugar in all fruit. I get enough sugar in my diet."

"Enough about sugar!" Lyle exclaimed, "Can we just get to the cake? So, Tieria, do you want a piece?"

Tieria sighed, "I guess," He said, "But just a small piece." It was another battle that he wasn't going to win. So rather than try to fight his comrades he just gave in.

"You must be some sort of miracle worker," Sumeragi said, "You got through to Tieria _and _you got him to eat cake."

"Perhaps I'm channeling my brother's spirit for the day," Lyle said, "Because I'm sure he was throwing a fit when he saw what Tieria was doing. Right Tieria?"

"Probably," Tieria said softly as he took a small bite of the piece of cake that had been handed to him. He had no idea how he had done it but Lyle managed to ease the pain he had been suffering from since Neil had died. It no longer felt like someone was stabbing him in the chest when he heard Neil's name. He could also look Lyle in the eye with wanting to cry. And he realized that maybe Lyle wasn't as bad as he thought he was.

"Lyle," Tieria said after the others had left, "I really need to thank you. You really helped me out today and I think now, after five years, I can come to terms with your brother's death. So thank you."

"It was nothing really," Lyle said, "It just seemed as though you desperately needed someone to talk to that's all. I was also under the impression that the others were afraid of you."

"I was a much different person five years ago," Tieria said, "They still can't separate the person I was five years ago and the person I am now."

"It happens," Lyle said as Tieria yawned, "You look tired, you should probably go to bed early tonight."

"I will," Tieria said as he headed for the door, "Thank you again."

"You're welcome." Lyle said, "And Tieria, don't be ashamed to cry okay?"

Tieria nodded then returned to his room. And for the first time on that date since Neil's death, he slept undisturbed by the events of the past.

* * *

Yay! It's done! It was a cute little fic wasn't it? And Lyle wasn't an ass in this… normally when I write him he's just an asshole but I found him to be tolerable in this. And I'm sure the rest of the crew thanked him for what he did. So what did you think? Let me know okay! See you all around in my other fics! Arigato Gozaimasu Minna-san!

_Ex-Shark-Virtue-005_


End file.
